Oklahoma teacher stunned after broken chair picture draws $44K in supplies,

[Demovictory9]

When an Oklahoma teacher revealed what the chairs in her classroom look like, she couldn't imagine how far one photo could go.

On March 28, Laurissa Kovacs took to Facebook to raise awareness about the conditions her students learn -- and sit -- in. As of Wednesday evening, the art teacher from Puterbaugh Middle School in McAlester, Oklahoma, had received more than $44,000 in donated supplies.



In her post, Kovacs described having to bring folding chairs from home because there are not enough seats in her class. The lack of space and the large class size also force her to scale back on projects and activities, she wrote.

"At the end of the day I felt like I needed people to see just a glimpse of the issues we face every day," she told CNN.

http://www.kmbc.com/article/a-picture-of-a-broken-chair-drove-people-to-donate-44-000-in-supplies-to-an-oklahoma-teacher/19687573

[gratuitous]

1. People aren't as taxophobic as Republicans and the media make them out to be

A lot of people understand that things cost money, and they're fine with paying taxes to pay for that. Sure, we need to keep an eye on waste, fraud, and abuse (the Republican holy trinity of government bashing), but most government agencies, particularly state, county, and municipal governments, are pretty careful with their money.

That $44,000 likely came from a whole bunch of people chipping in $10 or $20 each. Would you pay an additional $1.80 in taxes each month to raise teacher pay, buy new textbooks, and outfit classrooms with usable furniture? Because that's what it often comes down to.

[Phentex]

7. I know plenty of people who won't

at least not at a public school. As it is, they want vouchers to send their kids to private school.

[niyad]

27. maybe not elsewhere, but they sure are here (TABOR, anyone). we have a lot of retired

who doen't see any reason to fund schools when they do not have children of school age, amoung other resistances to public expenditures and the commons.

[BigmanPigman]

2. I got all new chairs for my classroom

when my principal was giving a tour of our school to a new school board member and one of my 6 year olds fell backwards and almost hit her head (lawsuit for the district). I had new chairs but the nasty teacher next door took all of them after I left for the day (my first day in that grade). The clever teacher never got over that and switched schools after that year. I know how the teachers can also get new books that they will never use...kickbacks from the textbook publishers. That happened at my district and they all ended up in the school dumpster (we were ordered to destroy one year old books by the school board). We called the local news and the district got there to block the cameras damn fast. Meanwhile the staff and support staff was cut 50%, never were rehired, and no raises, even COLAS, for over 5 years. Schools are a business. Period. Don't ever believe anyone on the board who says, "We are doing what is best for the children".

[Demovictory9]

4. imagine the lawsuit based on the chair in the pic. some lil kid could seriously cut themselves

on the jagged plastic

[TNNurse]

11. The cracks in the seat would pinch and probably cut legs.

[Demovictory9]

12. yeah. no one would let their kid sit on that

[TNNurse]

14. The parents might not know. How often do they go in the classrooms??

[BigmanPigman]

20. All the time if you are new or it is the beginning of the year.

They want to check you out for the first 6 weeks. Sometimes they actually do help out after that. They usually only show up if you tell them their kid has been bad and they come and tell you that you are a liar and they want a different classroom with their kid's best friend's teacher. Really! You wouldn't believe the stuff teachers have experienced for very little money and from a very sick/germ filled environment.

[TNNurse]

22. Grew up with a school teacher mother,

taught briefly myself. Have several relatives who are teachers. I would believe almost anything.

[sarah FAILIN]

23. Others have a different experience

I used to volunteer a lot when my eldest was in elementary. Not just my kids room, but the whole school. I was told by other moms that once the kids got past 5th grade, parents weren't allowed in the school. That was correct. You weren't even allowed to go have lunch with them. They said they wanted the kids to learn to deal without parents around.
When my youngest was in elementary, the teachers didn't want any help except to do fundraisers for them. You could eat lunch with your kid and that was it. No class visits except for the Christmas party which we brought the food for and wasn't really a typical day.
My kids have had some good teachers, but my youngest has had some poor teachers. One example, we discovered some health problems and talked to all the teachers and included the PE teacher. The PE teacher not only was making him do things strictly forbidden by his doctor, once I had to come get him at the nurses and the PE teacher was making a diabetic child with a blood sugar just over 400 go back outside to run for the entire hour of class because she was unable to pass the Presidential fitness challenge. The kid was going to have to do that for 6 weeks as was mine who was physically incapable due to a medical problem. I went to the principal immediately because I was afraid for the child. The PE teacher quit.
I may seem to have wandered, but my point is not all parents are uninterested, sometimes we have been pushed out by teachers that don't want us around for whatever reason. Also, just as you are going to have crappy parents, some of us had some bad experiences with teachers. Please don't write us all off.

[BigmanPigman]

24. You would have been more than welcomed!

When I had supportive parents I was so a happy and grateful. They still write to me even almost 10 years after I left. Some parents were helpful at different things and I always let them do whatever they volunteered for. Some parents are fantastic and others aren't. Even my own sister only went to my niece's school for the first month and then she bailed. I cherish the ones who stayed and saved me more than once! When I was sick(which was all the time) they even helped out the subs too. When I was so sick that I should have been in the hospital they went to the principal on my behalf and told her to get me out of there ASAP and they insisted that I go the hospital (I almost died one time but kept working since the district wouldn't hire subs to save money). Yes, the great parents are a lifesaver and I always made sure that they knew how much I appreciated them!

[sarah FAILIN]

26. Thank you

This was 2 different elementary schools so maybe the culture was that different but there are differences on both sides and it makes it hard to connect when you're used to bad experiences.

[xxqqqzme]

30. I noticed that too.

The splits in the seat are very dangerous.

[Beartracks]

16. Meanwhile, was the football program well-funded?

Just curious.

==========

[cos dem]

17. It's Oklahoma, of course it's well-funded.

[Beartracks]

18. BigmanPigman taught at an OK school?

I was responding to BigmanPigman's post. BUT... if you meant the school where that poor broken chair in the OP resides, then yes, of course football was well-funded. That's a given in Oklahoma. Football First.

===========

[cos dem]

21. I'm a product of the Oklahoma education system, so yes, I experienced it firsthand.

It actually wasn't quite so bad 30 years ago. Oklahoma always underfunds their schools, but it's gotten extraordinarily worse lately, as OK tries to copy Kansas.

[erronis]

29. Wow - the Sooner State copying the Jayhawk State. God Forbid!

[Blue_Tires]

3. God damn...

[Skittles]

5. this is what repukes want

they want donations to be sent for what TAXES should pay for

[Lonestarblue]

8. Absolutely right!

Perhaps some people will wake up one day and actually ask what they are getting for their tax dollars other than a quick transfer to for-profit charter schools and to big corporations and wealthy donors. People who vote for Republicans are getting poor education in many areas, no healthcare, cuts to safety net programs, and no infrastrucutre spending. Stories like this should help people wake up.

[MyOwnPeace]

25. And it's not just Oklahoma!

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210454750

What's the "common thread?"

REPUBLICANS!

[lark]

28. Similar thing happened to my daughter in FL school.

There were not enough chairs, so every day at least 10 students either sat on a flat desk or just stood. It took a week after talking to the principal just to get the desks for that class alone. I then had to raise hell with the school board to get the class size reduced and for them to get desks for every student enrolled at the school. They were short by about 150 desks. FL voters even passed an amendment to reduce class sizes prior to that, but asshole Bush refused to implement it until forced by the courts, if I remember right. Sad, after that, she got transferred to mostly AP classes and had no more issues with class size. Kids should not have to be in the top 10% of their class just to have a place to sit and write/read.

[BumRushDaShow]

15. Thread winner!

[ailsagirl]

6. So sad that any teacher should have to put up with that. WTH???

And I'm so glad she let people know how bad things were

[Luciferous]

9. While I'm glad people stepped up, they shouldn't have to do this! I feel the

same way every time I see a gofundme for medical bills

[MyOwnPeace]

32. AND Veterans!

Sad commercials on TV asking to send money to help pay for veterans' medical needs, as well as support for daily life.

DAMN, these war hawks sent those people over into harm's way just so they could play "big guy" and thump their chests.

WE, the USA, should care for our own that were hurt!!!!

This really gets my blood boiling!

[eleny]

10. Looks like Lawrence O'Donnell could start a school charity for Oklahoma schools

[AllaN01Bear]

13. this gets me a little pissed off as my late mom had to spend a lot of her

own monies to fund the classrom , even though this is a district budget item . this crap has to stop

[Plucketeer]

19. My wife taught in the oldest high school in town

It also was the high school in the poorest part of town. Pencils, pens, fans, pencil sharpeners, computer peripherals, she had to buy. How ya gonna teach without the materials? I was constantly doing maintenance things because submitting requests for services was an exercise in futility. We're both glad she's retired now.

[keepleft101]

31. when I read stuff like this it pisses me off

how can we allow this to happen in any state. Its out of control the tax breaks business and top 10% get. Thats why there is no money for schools. The middle class have to make up the shortage in taxes these clowns give business & rich people.

Than the rich people send their kids to private schools that every tool for their students. Its a joke.

At the same time these people continue to vote these people in office. What a mess.